The Last Stand
by Zander L. Jones
Summary: The final battle between Harry and Voldemort. Harry's last few breaths, or are they? Surrounded by those he loves, both dead and alive. One-Shot.


**A/N: I had a dream last night of Harry just looking up to see the ones he loves surrounding him and he's peaceful. I know this is the end of story and I do have full idea of what would come before, but I did just want a simple end to a long story. Enjoy!**

Ginny flicked her wand over her head as she began to retreat as quick as she could, the lights of spells flashing in every direction around her. Her _stupefy_ hit one of the many Death Eaters on the battlefield around them. It was just after sunset when Harry, the Order and a nicely sized group of willing Aurors had decided to ambush the Lord.

Thanks to their excruciating little connection, Harry knew exactly where Voldemort was. Knowing that he was currently at the graveyard where Harry had been sent after the Triwizard Tournament, also known as Voldemort's place of rebirth, only made it that much more fitting for Harry to battle him here.

The place he resurrected will be the place he's destroyed, thought Harry. Who had just taken out three Death Eaters with one of his more powerful Expelliarmus'. With only a moment's reprieve he searched around, begging Merlin that he didn't see any more of his friends bodies on the ground, unnaturally still. His parents, Cedric, Dumbledore, Snape, even the Dursley's had all been savagely killed and all in front of his eyes. He wasn't sure if his eyes or more importantly his soul could take any more unbearable pain from loss.

His eyes immediatley flitted to a brief flash of red hair that dove behind a head stone as a spell sped towards her. "Ginny." He breathed almost silently. Without thought, his legs propelled him towards Lucius Malfoy who was at the forefront of a throng of Death Eaters that were slowly extending themselves outward from the center of the graveyard, where Harry knew that Tom Riddle's father was laid to rest. Without even speaking Harry swished his wand and a roll of flames almost like a tsunami burst from it, spitting out rapidly towards the group that had almost cursed Ginny. He heard the screams and could only hope that the pain the Eaters felt was ten times more agonizing then how their screams sounded.

Thanks the wall of flames, a large portion of Death Eaters were stuck from advancing. Harry ran to Ginny who he found just standing up after diving behind the headstone. "Are you okay?" He asked fervently, giving her a hand.

"I'm fine." They both smiled instantly.

"That's my line." For the most part they were okay, both covered in some nasty bruises and pulsing cuts but we're still able to function well. They looked around and found Lupin, Tonks, and Mrs. Weasley fighting off a good sized hoard of Death Eaters. They found Hermione and Ron back to back almost completely surrounded, but holding their own. Fred and George were the eyes of the operation with their bird's eye view from their brooms. Arthur, Bill and Hagrid were fighting out of sight somewhere, or so they hoped they were still fighting.

They were snapped out of their reverie when three sickly green spells flew towards them, with a slight crackling sound being emitted.

"Down!" Harry screamed, pushing Ginny down with all his might. They began snapping off all the spells they knew, or at least the ones they knew would do harm, while hiding behind a set of gravestones.

"Harry," Ginny said, "I think we might be winning!" She couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.

"This isn't over yet." Harry said, not about to get his hopes up, not until Voldemort was face down on the ground or in it. "I got what's left here, go find your dad and Bill, I don't see them." Harry offered, trying to get her out of the immediate line of danger.

"I don't want to leave you." She gripped his dirty and cut arm tight.

"It's not forever. I love you." He kissed her forehead and ran from behind the stone straight towards who he now saw was Rodulphus and McNair.

"I love you too." She whispered, tears threatening to spill. She shoved her emotions down to the bottom most level of herself, summoned her Gryffindor courage and ran the opposite direction looking to see who she could help.

After Harry took care of Rodulphus, McNair and a few other low life's along the way, his scar busted open. Voldemort's laugh filled his head and stifled the air around him. Harry dropped to his knees, his hands gripping his head as if to lessen the pain. "Potter. You must learn to raise your shields, even a low level Occlumens could penetrate your mind." Snape's voice was speaking from the far corner of his mind. Unsure if he could tolerate the pain for even a moment longer he tried raising a dull grey screen in his mind. The pain stopped briefly, although it still felt like it lingered in his muscles.

"I see you've learned a new trick Harry." The snakelike hiss came from in front of Harry, who was on the ground panting, still holding his head, eyes shut. "However, no one is able to keep things from me long. Look at Severus. A most trusted ally, as much a snake as Nagini." Voldemort circled Harry predatorily. Only some of the closest Death Eaters had noticed the appearance of their master.

Harry opened his mouth, willing his voice to work. "I will defeat you Tom." Voldemort looked taken aback at being called this, almost as if he had been slapped in the face, but he quickly recomposed himself.

"I'm sorry my dear boy, for whatever gave you such false hope." Harry slowly opened his eyes now, his hands dropping to his sides as he looked up at Voldemort, circling like a vulture.

"You never did hear the end of the prophecy, did you Tom?" The red eyes expanded to twice their usual slit size. There was a thick silence surrounding the immediate area now. The wall of flames had slowly died down and the group of Death Eaters attacked those who had just finished up with the last wave.

"Never mind such silly foretellings of the future. Even if true, you are still the one at my feet." This illicited a few snickers from the Death Eaters forming around them now. "Why don't we have some fun while we're here?" Voldemort smirked and raised his wand. " _Crucio_!"

...

They were all familiar with the scream that seemed to rip the stars from the sky. "Harry!" All those who had a special place in their hearts for the boy-who-lived cried and cringed at the obvious pain of that who they loved. Although those on the side of the Light had momentarily been frozen in their tracks, they were all immediately torn back to reality by the continuation of the horrific fighting taking place.

"We have to help him!" Lupin yelled over the noise through gritted teeth. "He doesn't deserve this!" He continued, fighting off both the fatigue and Voldemort's most devoted.

"There's not much we can do Moony. The best way to help Harry is to fight back these gits!" Tonks yelled back as she forcibly kicked an oncoming Death Eater in the jaw.

On the opposite side of Lupin and Tonks, were Ron and Hermione, holding their own when they heard the horrific scream of Harry under the Cruciatus Curse. Almost instantly Ron began running towards where he last saw Harry fighting. "Ron! Ronald! Stop! You can't help him if you die!" Hermione screamed after him, unable to keep the plea from her voice. Bellatrix Lestrange had taken particular interest in this exchange as she swiftly changed directions and headed straight towards Hermione.

" _Avada Kadavra_!" A jet of green light sped toward the back of one Ron Weasley. Just as it passed the still Hermione, she knew exactly what it was. She raised her wand but before she could say the words that were lost on her tongue a bright curse flew from wand colliding directly with the killing curse. There was a moment that all seemed to still when the burst of energy knocked Bellatrix, Hermione and Ron backwards. The two females went face first into headstones and Ron was the first to recover. He ran towards Hermione, slowly turning her over and seeing an angry laceration running across the right side of her forehead. Anger and hate bubbled within Ron but Before either of them could say or do anything they looked over and saw Bellatrix standing with her wand on them.

"You filthy mudblood! The only thing worse than a mudblood, is a mudblood lover!" She opened her mouth to speak but was first hit with a curse herself. She immediately froze, and slowly shrunk almost within herself. When you could see almost all her bones protruding from her skin she burst into dust sized fragments.

"What...who?" Hermione began and Ron lifted her to her feet.

"Are you dears alright?" A flustered looking Mrs. Weasley asked as she bustled over to the pair, grabbing them in her arms.

"Thanks mum." Ron breathed into the top of her head as they all hugged.

"At least two of my children are safe, why don't we go save a third?" She asked as she lead them away, a smile ghosting across Hermione's face as she was regarded one of the Weasley's.

Harry was unsure if his voice had been ripped from his throat altogether from his screaming or from the bone grinding and twisting pain he felt in every cell and atom of his being.

"Had enough yet, Boy-who-shall-live-no-more?" The Death Eaters, who were now gathered in an almost impenetrable circle, roared with laughter after each of them had had their turn cursing Harry.

Harry wasn't sure if he could withstand any more pain. His vision was blurring, mind just numb enough for him to be left to feel only his pain and not his thoughts.

"You made this altogether too easy for me Harry my boy. My prey don't usually come to me!" He roared and was followed by a chorus of insults from the followers who weren't currently fighting off the incessant Order and the rest of the Light.

Harry lay almost paralyzed on the cool grass, surrounded by those he hated and none of those he loved. His stomach squeezed slightly as the image of all those he loved came into mind. He could only pray that they were safe, maybe fighting the less intellectual followers like Dolohov.

"Of course you would think of your friends at a time like this." Voldemort sneered as he read Harry's mind with ease. Harry tensed. "Yes, why don't we bring in those whom we have captured so far, yes?" Voldemort offered with a raised hand as one by one a Death Eater brought those he cared about into their circle. Bill, Arthur, Lupin, Tonks and several Aurors who had been protecting Harry for almost a year now we're standing right in Harry's line of sight from where he laid. Each of their faces aghast as they looked at the trembling boy who had suffered so much.

"Now now Harry, I wouldn't want you to get any ideas now..." Voldemort said as he raised a thin silver dome around just the two of them.

" _Fight for me Harry. I want you to live!_ " Ginny's words echoed through Harry's ears as he remembered the encounter they had just about a year ago.

 _"You can't be with me Ginny. I'm not good. I can't put you in danger like that. They'll use you, they'll always use you to get to me and I can't willingly put them in a situation to make that work." He said, as he turned away from her, unable to look into her creamy brown eyes that he loved._

 _"Harry James Potter! If I have only a minute left to live then I want to live it with you. This is not your choice! This my choice. I want you Harry, I want all of you and I can only have that if you fight for me, with me, not against me!" She pleaded with him. He felt a spark of hope light his soul._

 _"I love you Harry. Now fight!"_

As the memory played almost in front of him, his glossy eyes were ignited with a clear defiance. Muscle by muscle, Harry moved from a flat position to a kneeling position, to fighting all his screaming muscles as he stood. The Death Eaters, Voldemort and even Harry a little, were stunned. No way should be able to withstand that many Cruciatus Curses.

"But...how?" Voldemort let slip.

"Because I...have something...you'll never have." Harry breathed, his voice almost silent as he caught his breath.

He looked beyond the shield surrounding the pair at each of his loved ones faces. All of them looked back with a proud and defiant stance. He wished he knew if Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley and of course if Ginny were okay or not. But he took what he had, gathering strength from each supportive look of love.

"Love." Harry said, standing a little taller now. "This ends now Tom."

"Yes, I think you're for once correct." At the exact same time they raised their wands that seemed to connect even before they screamed their " _Avada Kadavra_ and their _Expelliarmus_ ". A huge jet of gold flowed between the two, pushing and pulling. It almost felt like a Dementor attack but not quite, Harry thought. It felt as though his energy and magic were literally being pulled outward from him. And by the look on Voldemort's snakelike face, he was feeling the same. They were almost dead even, both holding their own when another scream filled the air.

"Harry!" He looked quickly over and saw Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny fighting their way through the Death Eaters who were now dropping left and right. He looked back over his other shoulder and saw that this has ignited yet another revaluation as those who were previously captured were now fighting back against their captors.

Harry was almost thankful for the silver dome surrounding him and his ultimate enemy. Spells from both friend and foe were flying in every direction but none penetrating the erected shield. "Harry! I love you!" He heard Ginny scream encouragingly through the battle noise.

" _Fight for me._ " The words echoing in his head again. _I will_ , he thought resolutely. That was all he needed to gain the upper edge. He poured every single happy memory he could think of into his mind through his wand and at Voldemort. Memories ghosted across his thoughts, saving Sirius, Ginny kissing him, meeting Ron, Hermione helping him, Dobby bringing him food, Lupin teaching him the Patronus, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley welcoming him, giving him his first real hug, Tonks tearing through Privet Drive to find him, Fred and George accepting the winnings, Dumbledore eating an Earwax flavored jellybean, winning the Quidditch cup, all of it gave him strength.

As the steady stream of magic shot towards Voldemort, half the Death Eaters apparated away, knowing what was to come and not wanting to be around for it. Voldemort's eyes were wide open as he was hit full force and head on with everything Harry had. Voldemort slowly began to crack, his expression of shock frozen on his face. Light seemed to be creeping into every corner of him and it suddenly burst, much like the fragments of a now destroyed Bellatrix. The light from their power struggle was extinguished just like every last vestige of strength Harry had.

He dropped to the ground where he was, landing on his back, dropping his wand. Everything was a kind of fuzzy quiet, at least to him. He gazed lazily at the stars that were continually going in and out of focus. He noticed his breathing was a bit ragged, coming and going at odd intervals.

"HARRY!" He heard a few nearby or maybe faraway voices scream. Suddenly three heads popped into his view. He mostly only noticed Ginny's though. "Harry!" She took his hand in hers and held it tight against her. She had tears streaming in a steady flow down her face now. He took a moment to look at who else was here. He wasn't disappointed to find Ron and Hermione.

"The...golden trio." He murmured trying to smile at his two best friends. He noticed that they were drawing into each other as much as possible. He was glad that they had one another, even if he couldn't be there.

"Oh Harry." Hermione said, her voice filled with a sorrow he didn't anticipate. "You did it!"

"I...had to. I promised I...would." He crooned, looking straight into Ginny's glimmering eyes. Her breath hitched for a second as she remembered the evening Harry had tried breaking up with her almost a year ago.

"You did, you fought for me Harry." Ginny sobbed, holding his hand to her cheek.

"We're gonna get you fixed up mate, just hold on now." Ron couldn't keep his voice from cracking. Harry started to cough but almost past out from the exertion and lack of air it cost. He refocused his eyes on his first friend.

"...Never could have had...a better friend...than you." At this Ron began rambling as sobs threatened to overtake him.

"Moony?" Harry tried saying louder but came off just as quiet. Suddenly Lupin appeared right in front of Harry. A smile raised the corner of Harry's mouth.

"I'm here Harry. We're all here." His eyes were streaming wet as well.

"I see them Moony...Sirius...Mum and...Dad." The four sitting next to Harry shared quick concerned glances unbeknownst to Harry.

"Harry, this is very important so you have to listen to me okay?" Lupin asked, his hands on either side of Harry's face trying to make him focus. The boy slowly blinked as he slightly nodded. "You have to fight to stay here Harry. I know you want to see everyone again but think of us. We're all here Harry. Healers are coming. Stay here with us." Lupin said, trying to summon his paternal and authoritative voice.

Another smile ghosted across Harry's face as his eyes reopened. "Cedric..." Those around Harry looked at each other again, only imagining what Harry was seeing right now. Not wasting the opportunity, Ginny asked what was on everyone's mind.

"Harry, love, what are you seeing?"

"Happiness." The young boy breathed out. The hearts of the group immediately surrounding Harry and those who were standing just aside, had constricted, thinking that the only way Harry would find peace would be in death.

*Whack!*

"Harry! You listen to me and you listen to me good. You are not giving in like this. You said I was your happiness! You said we had forever together! You can't leave me, not before we truly live!" Ginny's red hair reflected the fire that was in her eyes as she scolded Harry.

Harry couldn't help but smile at his true love, even if his cheek did now throb. "They...love you, Gin." Harry began to blink again, but now with more and more time in between opening his eyes. "Moony...they miss you."

Lupin couldn't help but break down at this. He had thought he had lost everything the night Lilly and James died. But then he gained the world when Sirius and Harry came into his life. Now...both were almost gone again. Arms wrapped around him and ensnared him in a warm embrace. "It's okay, I'm here for you." Tonks whispered into the werewolf's ear.

"Harry! Harry mate, keep your eyes open." Ron cautioned, bringing the attention of the group back to them. Ron looked around wildly, almost seeing the life slowly leave Harry's eyes. "Where's the goddam Healers?!"

The group across from him where Bill, Arthur, Molly, and the Aurors were conversing were keeping their eyes open in the now deserted cemetery for both the Healers and for any threats. Mrs. Weasley came over and kneeled down, putting a hand softly on Harry's shoulder that wasn't bloodied up. "Harry, dear, the healers are almost here."

"...mum?" Harry asked, now more quiet then ever. New tears formed in mrs. Weasley's eyes.

"No dear, it's me Molly." She wished she had been his mum. Or at least given the chance to be instead of those wretched Dursley's who beat and neglected the poor child.

"I know...that. You're mum." Harry kept his eyes closed but tried smiling, only managing a half smile as he grimaced in pain. The only thing keeping him conscious was the constant conversation around him. He never did fare well with being out of the loop. He felt a soft kiss on his forehead and knew it was mrs. Weasley by how her hair always smelled like faint strawberry jam.

More pain bubbled up in his side and all he could do from calling out was to talk to her... "Ginny." He whispered, not bothering to open his eyes.

"I'm still here." She reassured him, kissing his hand.

"I'll...always f..fight...for y..yyou...always." He put the last of his dwindling strength into those words, trying to make her believe them and trying to get them out before he knew what was to come. His breathing was now quite irregular, sending sharp then full sharp then dull pain throughout his entire chest.

"Harry?" Ginny noticed his chest expanding and collapsing more oddly than usual. "Harry?" She called more urgently, taking a tighter hold of his hand. "Harry! Mom! Dad!" She called out with everything she had, even if they were just a few yards from her.

Harry could faintly hear Ginny, her voice becoming sweet and soundless. He heard the faint mumbling a of people around him, footsteps coming and going and darkness completely enveloping him. It was okay though because Harry was peaceful...even if it would only be for a short time.


End file.
